Panchakshara Manthiram Namasivaya

Thirumurai 12.21

சொற்றுணை வேதியன் 

   என்னுந் தூமொழி

நற்றமிழ் மாலையா 

   நமச்சி வாயவென்

றற்றமுன் காக்கும்அஞ் 

   செழுத்தை அன்பொடு

பற்றிய உணர்வினால் 

   பதிகம் பாடினார். 

பெருகிய அன்பினர் 

   பிடித்த பெற்றியால் 

அருமல ரோன்முதல் 

   அமரர் வாழ்த்துதற்

கரியஅஞ் செழுத்தையும் 

   அரசு போற்றிடக்

கருநெடுங் கடலினுட் 

   கல்மி தந்ததே. 

அப்பெருங் கல்லும்அங் 

   கரசு மேல்கொளத்

தெப்பமாய் மிதத்தலில் 

   செறித்த பாசமும்

தப்பிய ததன்மிசை 

   இருந்த தாவில்சீர்

மெய்ப்பெருந் தொண்டனார் 

   விளங்கித் தோன்றினார். 

இருவினைப் பாசமும் 

   மலக்கல் ஆர்த்தலின்

வருபவக் கடலில்வீழ் 

   மாக்கள் ஏறிட

அருளுமெய் அஞ்செழுத் 

   தரசை இக்கடல்

ஒருகல்மேல் ஏற்றிடல் 

   உரைக்க வேண்டுமோ. 

அருள்நயந் தஞ்செழுத் 

   தேத்தப் பெற்றஅக்

கருணைநா வரசினைத் 

   திரைக்க ரங்களால்

தெருள்நெறி நீர்மையின் 

   சிரத்தில் தாங்கிட

வருணனுஞ் செய்தனன் 

   முன்பு மாதவம். 

வாய்ந்தசீர் வருணனே வாக்கின் மன்னரைச்

சேர்ந்தடை கருங்கலே சிவிகை ஆயிட 

ஏந்தியே கொண்டெழுந் தருளு வித்தனன்

பூந்திருப் பாதிரிப் புலியூர்ப் பாங்கரில்.

அத்திருப் பதியினில் 

   அணைந்த அன்பரை

மெய்த்தவக் குழாமெலாம் 

   மேவி ஆர்த்தெழ

எத்திசை யினும்அர 

   வென்னும் ஓசைபோல்

தத்துநீர்ப் பெருங்கடல் 

   தானும் ஆர்த்ததே. 

  

தொழுந்தகை நாவினுக் 

   கரசுந் தொண்டர்முன்

செழுந்திருப் பாதிரிப் 

   புலியூர்த் திங்கள்வெண்

கொழுந்தணி சடையரைக் 

   கும்பிட் டன்புற

விழுந்தெழுந் தருள்நெறி 

   விளங்கப் பாடுவார்.

126. With the pure and sublime words: "Sol Tunai Vetiyan" 

He began to sing his divine Tamil garland; 

He hymned the decad holding fast thereto 

In loving consciousness NaMaSiVaYa, the Panchakshara, 

That abides with one and saves one from misery.

127. As he in flooding love held fast to the Panchakshara 

Which is not to be adequately hailed even by Brahma 

And other immortals, and as he truly hailed it 

The stone began to float on the dark sea.

128. The huge stone served as a throne for Arasu 

And became a float; the tight rope that fastened 

His divine person, got snapped; the servitor -- 

True and great, shone unharmed resplendent.

129. If the Panchakshara, can help embodied lives 

Fastened to the stone of Anava with the ropes 

Of twyfold deeds and thrown into the sea of life 

Reach the shore of eternal life without getting drowned, 

Is it then a wonder that it wafted ashore Arasu 

Fastened to a mere stone, from this sea?

130. With his billowy hands Varuna upbore 

Tirunavukkarasu -- the embodiment of compassion, 

The one borne aloft by the mystic pentad --, 

Fully conscious of his glory; great indeed is 

The tapas wrought by Varuna, of yore, 

To bear on his crown the holy servitor.

 

131. Ever-glorious Varuna converting the black stone 

Into a palanquin, bore the lord of the Logos; 

Blessed to carry him thus, he conveyed him 

Near to flowery Tiruppatirippuliyoor.

132. Holy throngs of devotees -- tapaswis true --, gathered 

In the holy place at which the servitor arrived 

And roared vociferously in delight great; 

Like the sound of "Hara!Hara!" issuing from 

All directions, the billowy main too resounded.

133. Worshipful Tirunavukkarasar with the holy company 

Adored the Lord of Tiruppatirippuliyoor who sports 

In his matted hair the white crescent; he prostrated 

Before Him, rose up and sang hymns that the way 

Of divine grace might in the world shine very well.

Letter of God

Thirumurai 11.1

1. மதிமலி புரிசை மாடக் கூடற்
பதிமிசை நிலவு பால்நிற வரிச்சிற
கன்னம் பயில்பொழில் ஆல வாயின்
மன்னிய சிவன்யான் மொழிதரு மாற்றம்
பருவக் கொண்மூப் படியெனப் பாவலர்க்

கொருமையின் உரிமையின் உதவி ஒளிதிகழ்
குருமா மதிபுரை குலவிய குடைக்கீழ்ச்
செருமா உகைக்கும் சேரலன் காண்க
பண்பால் யாழ்பயில் பாண பத்திரன்
தன்போல் என்பால் அன்பன் தன்பாற்

காண்பது கருதிப் போந்தனன்
மாண்பொருள் கொடுத்து வரவிடுப் பதுவே.

mathimali purisai maadak kooda'r
pathimisai :nilavu paal:ni'ra varichchi'ra
kannam payilpozhil aala vaayin
manniya sivanyaan mozhitharu maa'r'ram
paruvak ko'nmoop padiyenap paavalark

korumaiyin urimaiyin uthavi o'lithikazh
kurumaa mathipurai kulaviya kudaikkeezhch
serumaa ukaikkum saeralan kaa'nka
pa'npaal yaazhpayil paa'na paththiran
thanpoal enpaal anpan thanpaa'r

kaa'npathu karuthip poa:nthanan
maa'nporu'l koduththu varavidup pathuvae.

Meaning of song:

This is the letter spoken by the shiva, Who is stationed
at thiruvAlavAy of milky feathered swan wandering gardens
in the nAn mADak kUDal on the walls of which the moon
wanders.

It is to the attention of the chEran, who rides the combative
elephant under the brilliant beautiful full moon like canopy,
supporting the poets peerlessly and with ownership
like the clouds of monsoon.

pANar (by name) badhdhiran, who by nature plays yAz,
like yourself is loveful towards Me.
He is set in the journey to see you.
Give huge treasures (material) and let come back.

Notes:
1. This song is composed by the God Itself!
How gifted is thamiz to have the God Itself
compose songs in it! How great are the
authors of thirumuRai - to have the Supreme
also as one among them!! How immeasurable
is the glory of the one to whom God addressed
this letter and the one who got the recommendation!!
2. This song is in the form "From, To, Subject" for
a letter. The Lord of madurai wrote this to the chEra
king chEramAn perumAL nAyanAr recommending
for the poet badhdhiranAr to provide material
support. The great emperor showered the exchequer.
Because the Lord had mentioned that he should also
allow badhdhirar to return back to madhurai (God is
so interested in hearing badhdhirar's worship through
music),  he had to say bye to the devotee.
chEkkizAr details this incident in the purANam of
chEramAn perumAL nAyanAr.
3. puricai - wall; mARRam - word; koNmU - cloud;
kuru - charm; purai - like; ceru mA - combative animal;
ukaithhtal - riding; mAN - huge.

Remedies Ketu serving the community

Rahu and Kethu in different houses can be easily predict because these Rahu and Kethu influence the houses it occupies and never rule any houses.   People kethu in different bhavas , we can immediately predict by the placement of kethu in the house, how to balance the impact of kethu 12 ? 

Classic prediction Kethu 12 = spiritual gain or material losses both in same coin. 

Answer: 

The rahu/kethu axis is a karmic dilemma that people miss even though it is one of the most obvious to balance.  Watch the rahu/kethu axis itself. You needn't go far. Where kethu 12 can be a major problem for the subject, the balance will come from his rahu 6. Where his kethu 12 suggests that he will go through 12 house effects for granted to such an extent that 'it becomes a problem because he takes it for granted', he should put his energies in the 'working platform' suggested by rahu 6. In this case, by 'serving the community'. Try this, and liberate yourself. 

Namasivaya

Sun and Moon Relationships

More planets in bright phase is day life person

More planets in dark phase is night person

New moon or Full moon - sensitive.

Full Moon - Mood swing



What you can on Bright Phase?
Do thing to get something out of it, energy comes in, receving the oppurtunity can see

What you can do Dark Phase ?  
Charity, give back something, give away, send away or throw away.


Significance of thithi what can be done
Thithi sukla paksha - To receving energy
Thithi krisna paksha - To give away

What can be done on Moon Vara ?
Thingal (Moon)  - New experiences, starting a project, planting a seed,
beginning new business, Housing Warming and Family Gathering.

All planets will do good to devotees

Thirumurai 2.85

1. வேயுறு தோளிபங்கன் விடமுண்டகண்டன் மிகநல்ல வீணை தடவி
மாசறு திங்கள்கங்கை முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
ஞாயிறு திங்கள்செவ்வாய் புதன்வியாழம் வெள்ளி சனிபாம் பிரண்டு முடனே
ஆசறுநல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே.

Sivan who has a lady whose shoulders resemble green bamboo, on one half
The portion between two joints are compared to the shoulder has a neck that consumed the poison.
playing on an excellent vinai without defects. adorning his head with a spotless crescent and Kankai on account of the fact that he entered into my mind.
the sun, the moon, the mars, the mercury, the jupiter, the venus, the saturn, the rahu and Ketu which are in the form of snakes all making up nine planets.
will do good without any defect they are exceedingly beneficial to devotees.

2. என்பொடு கொம்பொடாமை யிவைமார் பிலங்க எருதேறி யேழை யுடனே
பொன்பொதி மத்தமாலை புனல்சூடி வந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
ஒன்பதொ டொன்றொடேழு பதினெட்டொ டாறும் உடனாய நாள்க ளவைதாம்
அன்பொடு நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே.

ornaments such as bones, hog`s tusk, and the sheel of a tortoise to shine in the chest.
riding on a bull, with a lady.
on account of the fact that Sivan entered into my mind, wearing a garland of datura flowers which have inside them gold.
the ninth star Ayiliyam, the tenth star Magam the sixteenth star  Visakam, the 18th star Kettai, the sixth star Thiruvathirai the other stars, Barani, Karttikai, Puram, Cittirai, Swathi, puratam and purattati are exceedingly good with love.

Therefore, all the days that are considered inauspicious are good without any blemish. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

Ayiliyam - Mercury, Rasi (Katakam)
Magam - Ketu, Rasi (Simha)
Visakam - Jupiter, Rasi (Thulam, Vrichigam)
Kettai - Mercury, Rasi (Vrichigam)
Thiruvathirai - Rahu, (Mithunam)

3. உருவளர் பவளமேனி யொளிநீ றணிந்து உமையோடும் வெள்ளை விடைமேல்
முருகலர் கொன்றைதிங்கண் முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
திருமகள் கலையதூர்தி செயமாது பூமி திசைதெய்வ மான பலவும்
அருநெதி நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே.

smearing the bright sacred ash on the body which is red like coral whose colour is increasing.
seated on a white bull with Umai.
wearing on the head konrai of spreading fragrance and a crescent.
on account of the fact that Sivan entered into my mind.
the goddess of wealth.
Dhurgai, the goddess of victory who has a vehicle of a stag.
this earth.
the many deities that guard the directions.
are exceedingly good like the rare wealth.

Therefore, all deities such as Lakshmi (goddess of wealth), Durga (goddess of victory), mother earth, and guardians of the various quarters are good like rare wealth. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

4. மதிநுதன் மங்கையோடு வடபா லிருந்து மறையோது மெங்கள் பரமன்
நதியொடு கொன்றைமாலை முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
கொதியுறு காலனங்கி நமனோடு தூதர் கொடுநோய்க ளான பலவும்
அதிகுணம் நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

our supreme being, Sivan, who chants the vetams sitting under the banyan tree along with a lady whose forehead is like the crescent as he has entered into my mind having adorned his head with a river and a garland of konrai flowers.
the god of death who has fierce anger.
the god of fire.
the naman who carries out the commands of the god of death, his messengers, and many cruel dieases.
are exceedingly good by their good nature.

Therefore, angry Kalan, fire, Yama and his messengers, and various deadly diseases are very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

5. நஞ்சணி கண்டன்எந்தை மடவாள்த னோடும் விடையேறு நங்கள் பரமன்
துஞ்சிருள் வன்னிகொன்றை முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
வெஞ்சின அவுணரோடு உருமிடியும் மின்னும் மிகையான பூத மவையும்
அஞ்சிடு நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

Sivan who has a neck that adds beauty of the poison;
our father.
our supreme god, Sivan who rides on a bull along with a beautiful lady.
adorning his head with leaves of indian mesquit and konrai flowers.
as he entered into my mind when all things are in sound sleep;
the great elements, lightning, the dreadful thunder along with the avunar of cruel anger will be afraid of us.
they will be exceedingly good.

Therefore, dreadfully angry asuras, roaring thunder, lightning, and all the elements will be afraid (of us) and be very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

6. வாள்வரிய தளதாடை வரிகோ வணத்தர் மடவாள் தனோடு உடனாய்
நாண்மலர் வன்னிகொன்றை நதிசூடி வந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
கோளரி யுழுவையோடு கொலையானை கேழல் கொடுநாக மோடு கரடி
ஆளரி நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

Sivan who has a fastened loin-cloth and a dress of the skin of a tiger which has stripes like the sickle.
along with a beautiful lady.
as he entered into my mind wearing konrai which blossoms in the early morning, leaves of indian mesquit and a river.
monkeys which can kill, tiger, elephant which can kill, wilder boar, cruel cobras, bears and lions;
are exceedingly good.

Therefore, powerful deadly tigers, elephants, boars, cobras, bears, and lions are very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

7. செப்பிள முலைநன்மங்கை யொருபாக மாக விடையேறு செல்வ னடைவார்
ஒப்பிள மதியுமப்பும் முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
வெப்பொடு குளிரும்வாத மிகையான பித்தும் வினையான வந்து நலியா
அப்படி நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

when the good natured lady who has breasts like the lid of the casket is one half of his body.
the god, Sivan who rides on a bull.
as he entered into my mind wearing a young crescent which has no comparison and water which reached him.
fever, cold fits, the ten vital airs of the body, excessive bile, acts are of such of a good nature as not to afflict us reaching us.

Therefore, all kinds of fevers, chills, and diseases that are caused by imbalance of bodily fluids, etc. will not cause any trouble. They are very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

8. வேள்பட விழிசெய்தன்று விடைமே லிருந்து மடவாள் தனோடும் உடனாய்
வாண்மதி வன்னிகொன்றை மலர்சூடி வந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
ஏழ்கடல் சூழிலங்கை அரையன்ற னோடும் இடரான வந்து நலியா
ஆழ்கடல் நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

opening the frontal eye to destroy Vel (Cupid) in the distant past.
seated on a bull united with a beautiful lady.
as he entered into my mind, wearing a bright crescent, leaves of indian mesquit and flowers of konrai, coming to me out of his free will.
sufferings will not inflict us pain along with the King of Ilankai surrounded by surging ocean.
the deep ocean is exceedingly good.

Therefore, we will have no troubles from Ravana, (the king of Lanka surrouned by the seven seas), and other afflictions. The deep sea will be very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

9. பலபல வேடமாகும் பரனாரி பாகன் பசுவேறும் எங்கள் பரமன்
சலமக ளோடெருக்கு முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
மலர்மிசை யோனுமாலு மறையோடு தேவர் வருகால மான பலவும்
அலைகடல் மேருநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

the supreme being, Sivan who has very many forms, who has a lady on one half.
our supreme god, Sivan who rides on a bull.
as he entered into my mind having worn lady in a form of water and yarcum flowers.
Piraman who is seated on a flower, Mal, Vetams, the celestials and inauspicious time that comes to us, ocean which is always moving and Meru are good.
they are exceedingly beneficial to devotees.

Therefore, Brahma (who is seated on the lotus flower), Vishnu, Vedas, Devas, the future, the seas, the Meru mountain, etc. will be very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.

10. கொத்தலர் குழலியோடு விசையற்கு நல்கு குணமாய வேட விகிர்தன்
மத்தமு மதியுநாக முடிமே லணிந்தென் உளமே புகுந்த அதனால்
புத்தரோ டமணைவாதில் அழிவிக்கும்அண்ணல் திருநீறு செம்மை திடமே
அத்தகு நல்லநல்ல வவைநல்ல நல்ல அடியா ரவர்க்கு மிகவே

Sivan who is different from this world and who assumed the form of a good natured hunter and granted a weapon to Vicayan, along with a lady on whose tresses of hair bunches of flowers blossom.
as he entered into my mind having adorned his head with datura flowers a crescent and a cobras.
the sacred ash will destroy the buddhists and the camanar in religious discussions.
its uprightress is definite.
they are exceedingly good, appropriate to that.

Therefore, Lord's holy ash will defeat the Buddhists and the Jains in the debates. Its greatness is certain. All will be very good. They are very good to the devotees indeed.
Siva is referred to as 'vikirdha' (vikrutha) - one who acts differently)

11. தேனமர் பொழில்கொளாலை விளைசெந்நெல் துன்னி வளர்செம்பொன் எங்கும் நிகழ
நான்முகன் ஆதியாய பிரமா புரத்து மறைஞான ஞான முனிவன்
தானுறு கோளுநாளும் அடியாரை வந்து நலியாத வண்ணம் உரைசெய்
ஆனசொல் மாலையோதும் அடியார்கள் வானில் அரசாள்வர் ஆணை நமதே

being abundant in sugar mills situated within gardens which have honey and red variety of superior paddy that is produced increasing superior gold is abundant everywhere.
Sampantan who possesses knowledge of Vetams and knowledge of god in Piramapuram which derives its name from Piraman of four faces.
the devotees who daily recite the garland of words which were done in order that the evil planets and stars may not approach and inflict suffering to devotees, will rule in heaven;the authority is ours.

He has sung this garland of words to dispel the ill effects caused by planets, stars, and other such things so that the devotees do not suffer. Those devotees who chant this padhigam (set of songs) will rule the heavens. It is Our command!

Kemadruma Moon

That means, the there's no planets in front nor behind to support the Moon.

An unsupported moon such as this is called a kemadruma moon.

Largely regarded as bereft of strength, the subject's life experiences will be

almost listless resulting from the lack of opportunities and even the

lack of motivation on his part. Traditionally, associating with such

persons would be beneficial and therefore not recommended.

While I have seen this in my own records of thousands of natal cases,

I am still intrigued by the fact that one of the favorite techniques in

muhurtha is to avoid giving neighbors to moon for a truly auspicious

timing for the undertaking of crucial events. Instead, the astrologer

is recommended to empower particularly relevant karakas governing the

nature of the event. Yet, the moon is placed highly in formulating a

healthy chart. So when you read between the lines, the ancient masters

themselves had divergent opinions with this dictum.

What happens if you don’t even know your birth date?

Then really, don’t go to an astrologer unless you’re ready to go a lengthy process called Birth Rectification. That might take hours if not weeks plus a lot of interaction with you to confirm your most likely chart. What the diligent astrologer (difficult to find them for free) would have to do is to keep on fine-tuning some of your horoscopic positions. He would probably start by placing your ascendant somewhere he thinks relevant, and with that, he’d try to read the chart as a whole and see if it fits with your life events. If it doesn’t, or he thinks it’s not conclusive enough, he’d continue adjusting the chart with other “what if” positions. This part of the work is so specialized that some astrologers offer this service only to other professional astrologers who need this work done for their very important clients.

There is one other way whereby you don’t need to give your birth particulars, and that would be when you use the services of a “horary” astrologer. Obviously, this is a professional astrologer who is adept at using a special branch of astrology called Horary Astrology. That’s where you ask a very specific question, and you get a very specific answer to that question on the spot. But that horoscope cannot be used for anything else. But even these professional astrologers report that their horary techniques are used best when used in conjunction with a reliable birth chart.

Why does the astrologer require reliable birth particulars?

The basic idea of needing your birth particulars is because he needs to calculate the astronomical positions for the time that you were born. How did the galaxy look like? That is what the horoscope is about. So, the astrologer uses the birth particulars so that he is able to see the configuration of the planets in the zodiac during the precise moment of birth. Astrology uses the picture of the galaxy at your moment of birth as its model to make predictions. Pyromancy diviners use the “configurations” of the melting wax of the burning candle to “see” the things that they interpret into their predictions, tea readers see how the tea leaves position themselves at the bottom of your cup to make their predictions, and astrology uses the galactic configuration of the planetary bodies for its predictions. So imagine what happens when your astrologer does not get reliable birth particulars to work with? He simply does not get to see the accurate picture of the galactic configuration during the subject’s actual birth moment, and he simply would not be able to reliably relate what he sees to your true life experiences. So what do you want to do? You want your birth particulars (especially your birth time) as correctly possible.

What’s the difference between the Sun Signs and the Personal Birth chart?

What you’ve always called your personal sign is what astrologers call your Sun Sign. No real astrologer uses this. But this is what people generally use and refer to at party chats. It’s anything but personal. The sun occupies a zodiacal sign for a whole month. So what this kind of sun sign astrology says is, if the sidereal sun occupies the general zodiac sign Capricorn between 15 January and 15 February, and you were born anywhere between those dates, just like a few million other people, then you are all Capricorn people. This is technically true. But what is wrong, is to think that you and your millions of other Capricorn siblings all behave precisely like how a Capricorn should, and should exhibit similar Capricorn attributes, and go through the typical life experiences that a Capricorn should. It is this basic assumption that has put real astrology to shame. The popularity of this uneducated assumption is the continued cause of the “educated” people’s general argument against astrology. You need to know that nothing so oversimplified and general can offer anything so precise and individualistic. If you want to know the specifics of your own life, then you need to get the astrologer to work on your personal chart (there cannot be another similar one; with the exception of twins). And you only get the best of this when you give your personal birth particulars.

Cuspal Packages: how to handle the cuspal positions effectively

flow:

-          common problem: so which sign or house is it really in?

-          retrogressive: to ask before you predict, is to be retrogressive

-          progressive: to predict before you check, is progressive and daring

-          need to yearn for feedback and develop documentation habits

Most beginning students have problems with cuspal positions. These are positions that border and straddle any two signs or houses. For instance, see illustration 1. The Ascendant is Gemini 12 degrees. Mars is Cancer 11 degrees.

Maharishi Parasara would have regarded Mars as being in the second house because he paid no special focus to the importance of the degree locations. For so long as Mars is in that square after the one that contains the Lagna, Mars is in the 2^nd house; doesn’t matter if Mars is in 4 degrees Cancer, or 28 degrees Cancer.

Today, we’re more particular about the planetary longitudes (and even latitude). Reckoning it by the Equal House school (where every house has a span of 30 degrees), then the first house spans between 12 degrees Gemini and 12 degrees Cancer; and any planet falling in that space is said to be in the first house.

But if Mars was at 14 degrees, then it would not be in the first house anymore, but the second house. Of course, the Parasara school would still consider that as the second house.

Unfortunately, things are not as absolute as how some scholars make it out to be, no matter what tradition has to say. For instance, my own experience tells me to be suspicious of all cuspal or borderline cases. In the above example, I have the following concerns:

Ø   Parasara would say that Mars is in the 2^nd house

Ø   Modern work tells me to treat that as the 1^st house

Ø   But I am also concerned that Mars is very close to the cusp of the 2^nd house

This is what I do, and I have used this successfully in my professional consultations:

Mars is technically in the 1^st house, but I would still explore what Parasara would have said, and even pay higher regard to the fact that it is “stronger with” the 2^nd house by virtue of its proximity with the border of that house. I would consider that for this case, Mars offers a package of 1^st and 2^nd house events together.

These are two basic things I would suspect about the subject: he would be an active person who prefers to be in the action, and he would often have difficulties managing his personal finances. Between the two experiences, his financial challenge is weighed more significantly than his preference for activity. The moment I am able to confirm this, I would know the sway of the borderline planet, and make my refinements from there. So at this point, I would strongly recommend that the beginning student give more weight to the house cusp with which the borderline planet has proximity.

In the above case, if Mars is in Cancer 11 degrees, and the 2^nd house cusp is Cancer 12 degrees, then say: Mars is in the 1^st house, but stronger in the 2^nd house, giving results of both such houses, but especially so the results of the 2^nd house. And if Mars is at Cancer 14 degrees, then say: Mars is in the 2^nd house, and “strongly so”.

As you proceed with your astrological studies, you will see that different planets may behave different in giving their results. For instance, some planets give their results somewhere in the middle of a sign while some others do so when at the beginning or end of the signs. Also, house effects may be experienced less at the beginning, more certainly mid way through, and peak off towards the end, and drop-off at the tip, only to begin feebly again at the start of the next house, and continues that way through the houses. Your awareness of house effects will become sharper as you continue with your observations of random cases.